Muchena Under Surveillance? CIO Convoy Shadows Mnangagwa’s CAB3 Critic

By A Correspondent| Former Air Force of Zimbabwe Air Vice-Marshal Henry Muchena says he and his wife have been subjected to suspected surveillance for three consecutive days by a convoy of three unidentified vehicles in Harare.

Muchena, who has emerged as a prominent critic of Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3), says the alleged surveillance has heightened his concerns about his family’s safety amid growing tensions over efforts to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s tenure beyond 2028.

The retired senior military officer on Friday released videos which he said showed the vehicles allegedly tracking him and his family across the capital.

According to Muchena, the vehicles followed him after he left his home in Glen Lorne and travelled into central Harare. He said the same vehicles later switched their attention to his wife as she moved around the city.

Muchena said his wife became suspicious of the vehicles and contacted police while she was around Third Street and Tongogara Avenue.

He said officers approached the occupants of the vehicles, but the people inside did not leave or flee. Instead, they reportedly remained inside with the tinted windows closed.

Muchena further alleged that the vehicles continued following his wife as she travelled from central Harare to Marlborough before eventually returning to Glen Lorne.

He said the same three vehicles had also been repeatedly spotted parked near the former Food Lovers outlet, now Coconut Lounge, at the intersection of Emmerson Mnangagwa Road and Glen Helen Road in Glen Lorne.

Muchena described the repeated presence of the vehicles as increasingly disturbing, saying the convoy had effectively become an unwanted escort following him and his wife around the city.

He said the alleged surveillance had persisted throughout Friday, marking the third consecutive day that he had noticed the vehicles.

The former air vice-marshal said he subsequently reported the matter at Highlands Police Station after becoming increasingly concerned about the unexplained pursuit.
Muchena told reporters on Friday that he could not conclusively identify the people behind the alleged surveillance or establish their motives.

He said that, for the time being, he could only speculate that the individuals might be criminals until their identities were established, adding that the uncertainty had become worrying for him and his family.
The allegations come against the backdrop of Muchena’s opposition to CAB3, which seeks to extend Mnangagwa’s tenure beyond 2028.
Muchena has represented a group of retired senior military officers and other officials who have publicly opposed the proposed constitutional changes.

The reported surveillance has consequently raised fresh questions over the security environment facing critics of the proposed extension.

However, there is no independent confirmation that the occupants of the vehicles are members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), while the identities and motives of those allegedly following Muchena and his family remain unknown.